The Sky Will Turn Blood Red
by Spider and the Fly
Summary: Naruto is a Fox Yokai, raised by Orochimaru to let his natural state run wild. Can Sasuke Uchiha bring him back to sanity? Rated M for graphic depictions of violence.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto raced down the hallway, twisting, dodging, and jumping on all fours like his instincts demanded. He sped ahead of Orochimaru-sama's summons, gathering speed, and burst desperately into the throne room, trailing insane giggles behind him. The snakes writhed, playing with the inexhaustible child.

He knew the guests had stopped short and were staring at his play with incredulous expressions. He chose to ignore them in favor of tackling Shinshi and pulling him into a neck-lock.

"Naru-chan? Have you finished playing with your toy so soon?" The snake sannin's voice was soft, and Naruto quickly gathered himself into an attentive pose, frozen beneath Kisa's fangs and Basi's coils. He grinned at the visitors, showing off his long fangs and razor-tipped claws. His tail lashed, smacking Kisa in the nose. She shook and sniffed.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama!" Naruto said earnestly, smiling sweetly. "He had many wonderful things to tell me, and I was going to wait to tell you, but I figured you'd want to know, seeing as it was about your guests, master." The snakes around him snapped, curling tighter and tighter until Orochimaru gave an impatient whistle. They dissolved to dust, and Naruto fell to the floor. He glanced around mournfully before tucking his hands behind his back and rocking back on his heels.

"They were planning to invade and take all your experiments, which included me, but I didn't like that, so I went to stop them. They're out back now." Naruto licked a fingernail, letting his eyes fill with red as he glanced at the two men shuddering under his gaze. "They didn't taste very good. Too sweet, like candy. It's rotting my teeth." His tail flicked sideways, trying to get to the two guests.

One of the men cried out in grief, lunging at the child cannibal, intent on killing him. Orochimaru didn't move, certain his pet would be able to defend himself from such a small fry. The boy watched his approach with an insane, gleeful smile; one that warped his features until his face elongated and he crouched so close on the edge of pouncing they could almost feel the energy ready to snap.

The man was dead before he hit the ground, and the second man a mere second later. The boy reappeared, crouching above Orochimaru's throne. He allowed the snake man a quick pet before begging for the return of the snake summons. They ran off together, already helping the boy wash the blood off his skin with cooing licks.

Orochimaru allowed himself a proud grin before setting the servants upon the task of cleaning the waste in front of it and sending it down to his lab.

**11 YEARS LATER**

Naruto preened with pride at having been chosen to assist Orochimaru-sama on such an important task as capturing an Uchiha for study. He eyed the Uchiha judgmentally and found him lacking, but shrugged. He must be important somehow for Orochimaru to focus so much on him.

Naruto's orders were as follows (copied word for word):

_1.__Protect Uchiha Sasuke from outside forces. Can't have the toy damaged during delivery._

_2.__Eliminate all obstacles stealthily. Don't be obvious about it, pet. Replace all obstacles with clones until the debacle is over._

_3.__Lose some fights. It's fine to beat some of the arrogant ones into the dirt, but let the weak ones gain more confidence before you kill them._

_4.__Rouse no suspicion. Behave normally. _

_5.__Hide your true appearance, lest someone notice you. Then the jig will be up, got it?_

_6.__Wait for the signal. Don't act until you get new orders._

He settled loosely into his seat, having gained all the answers from the girl seated next to him, who was desperately protecting her sheet. He tilted the paper slightly to the right, allowing his 'teammates' ready access. They didn't need them, though. This 'test' was pretty easy as they'd been studying the subject for almost 10 years now, maybe a little less.

He remained relaxed in his chair, but on the inside he was seething. _Orochimaru-sama promised bloodshed! When do I get to kill some people? Come now, don't make me waaaiiiitttt…_ His lips lifted in an undeniable snarl, but he swallowed it and began to fidget desperately. The tall man with silvering hair near the front had seen the lapse in his concentration, and he was itching for death anyway; perhaps he'd just follow his orders and deal with the obstacle? "I have to use the bathroom."

His stomach gurgled in happiness, and he giggled in a bout of crazed mirth as he exited the bathroom. He'd checked on the blood himself after trying to wash it off and found it still relatively sweet. Terror was always too sweet; he wanted to fight someone who thought they'd win. Perhaps the Sabaku…? Except for the fact that he wasn't included in the orders. Maybe Orochimaru-sama would let him pick a reward? He winked at the clone. It winked back, licking its lips.

5 minutes later, as one of the Sandnin reappeared from what he realized had to be the bathroom, he narrowed his eyes and contemplated how he'd missed the boy's chakra. He watched as the boy told the others from Suna what he'd heard, and saw them turn to face him with expressions of wary, disgust, and fear. He grinned, letting his face shift to the demon's own for just a moment, and they crowed their amusement when the two normal nin shrank away. The Sabaku's eyes widened, before he grinned back. It was just as bloodthirsty as Naruto's own.

_Finally, a chance to play with an interesting toy. Maybe he'll actually stand a chance of winning? Oh, this'll be fun! _ He was tempted to do a happy dance right there, but refrained. Orochimaru-sama had ordered him to hold back on the happy dances outside of Sound (as they tended to help the 'insane demon-boy' image too well. Naruto just shrugged and agreed). Apparently it inspired copious amounts of fear.

Sasuke doesn't like him. It's glaringly obvious, despite the way he's conducted himself. He's even held back from trying to eat his toes. You don't really need your toes, anyway (AN: don't try to eat your toes at home, folks. You definitely need those.). Just a nibble? Fine.

They meet in the forest, and Naruto's so tempted to just off the kid there and eat him, but he holds back. It wouldn't do to cause Orochimaru-sama to punish him. He wants to play with new toys, after all. How is he supposed to do that if he can't run free? It's so troublesome, this Uchiha brat and the whole situation, but Naruto pipes down. He can be a good pet.

He does, however, engage the brat in a fight simply to test him. It wouldn't do to find out Orochimaru-sama's precious pet project was nothing more than a snot-nosed kit. He's got to be more valuable than that, really. And if he is?

All the more food for Naruto when Orochimaru-sama realizes it.

_He holds himself back too much. Is he already injured? Why doesn't he just let go and fight me? This is annoying me. I want to see some blood…_Naruto's eyes shift minutely to the pink-haired girl and Sasuke growls. She whimpers at the look on his face. The artist boy tries to stumble to his feet but can't. Naruto already took out that problem so that he could focus on the main event: getting Sasuke to show his true power, or at least put up a good fight. Still, it's impressive that the boy could move at all. Maybe Orochimaru-sama would let Naruto play with him a bit more? He could eke out _days _of entertainment from one good subject, if given free rein.

He shook his head. _Focus on the mission before the possible reward. _After all, after a record of 100% success in all missions, he couldn't just start failing now!

"Maybe I'll play with _her_, if you don't want to entertain me," Naruto decided aloud, still studying the girl. He doesn't miss the flash of rage across the Uchiha's face. He likes it; it complements the boy's features. "I'll make you a deal. Orochimaru-sama said I'm not to kill you, but he didn't say anything about playing, as long as I don't injure the new toy." He paused, watching a look pass over the boy: confusion, anger, a slight dose of fear, and … longing? "If you can distract me from how hungry I am, I'll leave her alone until we meet again. How about that, eh, little Uchiha?" And cue the angry attack.

Naruto let the genjutsu cast upon him drop for a fraction of a second, letting them see what he really looked like: blonde hair with red streaks, like blood dripping down his skull. Red eyes, with black pupils and a circle of gold surrounding the iris. Nine red tails with white and black tips that writhed and swiped furiously behind him. Huge fox ears tinted black with gold tips and red speckles hanging heavy over his head. Gilded, razor-edged claws, on his hands and growing from his toes in a length that, if he ever wore shoes, would have shredded them. His hind legs lengthen, like a werewolf's, and his nose elongates into a snout with slavering teeth. It's as close as he's let himself get to losing it for good. _Blood, pain, fire, bite, porcelain skin and shadows sharp as a bone knife. _Sensations are distorted when he's like this, and he loves it, the ability to sink into his wolf-mind with ease and abandon.

Orochimaru-sama thought it was beautiful, and that was good enough for him.

He comes back to himself with the curse mark on his shoulder twinging as he looks down at the Uchiha brat. He's on his back, bloody and near unconsciousness. _Orochimaru is going to be so angry._

"Oops, went a little overboard." He focuses chakra into his palms and heals the injuries he inflicted, causing Sasuke to wince and sit up slowly. He dances away. "It was nice playing with you. Maybe next time we can play longer, huh?" Sakon lands next to him from in the trees, and he allows himself to be led away.

But he'd made a mark of his own, and now he could find Sasuke anywhere.

At the end of the invasion, when the Soundnin, Orochimaru, and Naruto had gathered to hear Sasuke's final answer to Orochimaru's offer. Personally, Naruto doesn't care either way, seeing as Orochimaru-sama had already scolded him for potentially scaring Sasuke off. He deduced that meant that he wasn't going to get to play with the boy anytime soon. _Troublesome._

He could hear the almost-hesitation in the boy's voice, could feel his gaze even though he'd trained his eyes on the trees on the horizon, not listening in the least to Sasuke's answer.

He says yes, and they continue on.

He can hear them discussing him on the run home; talking about how old he was when he joined Orochimaru-sama (3), why he was so dangerous ("He calls murder 'playing'. Not even the rest of us are that depraved."), and what his curse seal did ("Just alerts him to Orochimaru-sama's presence, is all. It's not like he can get any more powerful than he already is."). He doesn't bother including them in the fact that he can hear them, despite the fact that there's almost half a mile between them and they're talking in a whisper. Orochimaru-sama catches his eye and winks. He grins back cheekily.

_Time to go home. Back to my toys, and experiments, and pets. I'm coming home._


	2. Chapter 2

He's been gone almost a month, off on some errand for Orochimaru. When Sasuke asks around, all he can get from the other nin studying under Orochimaru is a shrug and a "Maybe he'll be back tomorrow? Why do you care where he went, anyway?"

He doesn't know why he cares. He only understands that Naruto (or Fox, in his Sound Village ANBU costume) was raised by Orochimaru and has the same look in his eyes as Itachi did that night: the look that says you've done something so wrong and abhorrent that you've completely lost yourself. Something Sasuke is dying to understand, and worm inside, and destroy. Even Orochimaru doesn't have that kind of power, couldn't even _dream _of controlling it, yet he does. It interests Sasuke. Why? Why does the crazy, demonically powerful fox-boy follow Orochimaru with some kind of bizarre devotion?

It's almost annoying.

It's nighttime (not that you can tell in the tunnels) when he hears the swift shuffling of Naruto's summons (huge foxes with wild eyes and numerous tails, that would eat everything Naruto let them, but resort to trying to get a bite off all of them) outside his door. He bolts awake, heartbeat in in his throat, and dresses quickly.

He knows where the boy's going: to report to Orochimaru on the mission, and discuss the 'situation' with Konoha after they recruited one of the most promising rookie nin right out from under their noses. Oh yeah, and implanted a fox demon right in their midst.

He stalks steadily down the hall, letting Naruto hear and report his presence there. If they want him there, they'll invite him in. if not, he'll be shown away by a summons. It wasn't really surprising when the door opened and Naruto's stony face ducked around the door.

"It's awfully late, Uchiha." _You shouldn't be out here. _

"I wanted to hear the mission report." _I know. I don't really care. And I won't be turned away, fox boy._

"I see. Orochimaru-sama is busy. The toy arrived smoothly and in one piece, though I did feel tempted to take a nibble…" _You may not enter. And I am hungry. Would you like to volunteer yourself? _

Sasuke took a step back, watching morbid glee and fascination light the blonde's eyes as he followed, getting just inside Sasuke's 'safe zone'. He snarled, and flinched when the fox matched him exactly, though his face was more animal than man.

He turned to walk away, determined to put as much space between them as he could. Before he could take a step, however, an arm tightened over his neck, and he breathed in sharply, tense. A voice snaked its way to his ear: "Don't run. We predators chase little beasts that run, little hawk." _You are not a snake. You are not one of us._

And then the arm was gone, leaving Sasuke standing there and trying not to acknowledge how much his knees shook (_with stress, Sasuke, not fear, _never_ fear_).

**(AN: sorry this chapter's so short. and the scene at the end has a purpose, so believe it! :) **

**feel free to review if you want to see a certain character, if you think i've done something wrong, or if you have suggestions! i will certainly look at them all, and do as much as i can to please the readers! X) )**


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